Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Monday, March 16, 2020
This Brilliant Darkness: A Book of Strangers
Mar 16 @ 6:00 pm
Malaprop's

THIS BRILLIANT DARKNESS is a dazzling, genre-defying work, blending memoir with immersion journalism, fusing late-night philosophical musings with an intimacy akin to the work of James Agee and Teju Cole. With radical empathy and striking candor, Sharlet brings attention to lives lived on the margins of society: the elderly, the homeless, the mentally ill, the disabled. Through these illuminating and thought-provoking encounters, Sharlet depicts a society full of suffering and regret—but one which when observed, casts a glimmer of light.

 

This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.

Event date:
Monday, March 16, 2020 – 6:00pm
Event address:
Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe
This Brilliant Darkness: A Book of Strangers Cover Image
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic
Mar 18 @ 10:30 am
ExploreAsheville.com Arena

10:30am – Buy Tickets
6:00pm – Buy Tickets

Jump to the beat with your friends on Sesame Street!  Join the fun with an interactive show that unfolds on one of the world’s most famous streets at the funniest, furriest party in the neighborhood…get ready for Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party!

Learn new songs and sing along to familiar favorites with Oscar and Cookie Monster; build a snowman with Elmo; flap your wings with Big Bird; marvel at Abby’s magic; be amazed when Super Grover flies, and move to the rhythm with Rosita.

Anything’s possible when everyone who shares something in common gets together.  Kick your feet to the beat at Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party!

Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic
Mar 18 @ 6:00 pm
ExploreAsheville.com Arena

 

There are two available times for this event:

10:30am – Buy Tickets
6:00pm – Buy Tickets

Jump to the beat with your friends on Sesame Street!  Join the fun with an interactive show that unfolds on one of the world’s most famous streets at the funniest, furriest party in the neighborhood…get ready for Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party!

Learn new songs and sing along to familiar favorites with Oscar and Cookie Monster; build a snowman with Elmo; flap your wings with Big Bird; marvel at Abby’s magic; be amazed when Super Grover flies, and move to the rhythm with Rosita.

Anything’s possible when everyone who shares something in common gets together.  Kick your feet to the beat at Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party!

 

Thursday, March 19, 2020
Notorious HBC (History Book Club)
Mar 19 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Join host and Malaprop’s bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across different periods of history. The club tackles challenging subjects, hence “NOTORIOUS.”  Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at Malaprop’s on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm.

Event date:
Thursday, January 16, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, February 20, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, March 19, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, April 16, 2020 – 7:00pm
UNCA Visiting Writers Series – Natanya Ann Pulley
Mar 19 @ 7:00 pm
Karpen Hall Laurel Forum

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natanya Ann Pulley, author of “With Teeth,” a Many Voices Project winner in fiction, will read from and discuss her writing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, in Karpen Hall, Laurel Forum. This event is free and open to everyone with no tickets needed.

 

Saturday, March 21, 2020
Sesame Street Live CANCELLED
Mar 21 @ 1:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Sesame Street Live (March 21-22) ) is cancelled. All tickets purchased at Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded. All other tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.

Your favorite Sesame Street friends are back in Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic! When magician extraordinaire Justin visits the neighborhood to put on a magic show, Elmo wants to join in. But there’s one problem: Elmo doesn’t know how to do magic, so he teams up with Justin, Abby, and friends to practice his trick while discovering the magical moments in everyday life!

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

Sesame Street Live
Mar 21 @ 5:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Your favorite Sesame Street friends are back in Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic! When magician extraordinaire Justin visits the neighborhood to put on a magic show, Elmo wants to join in. But there’s one problem: Elmo doesn’t know how to do magic, so he teams up with Justin, Abby, and friends to practice his trick while discovering the magical moments in everyday life!

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

Sunday, March 22, 2020
Sesame Street Live CANCELLED
Mar 22 @ 10:30 am
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Sesame Street Live (March 21-22) is cancelled. All tickets purchased at Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded. All other tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.

Your favorite Sesame Street friends are back in Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic! When magician extraordinaire Justin visits the neighborhood to put on a magic show, Elmo wants to join in. But there’s one problem: Elmo doesn’t know how to do magic, so he teams up with Justin, Abby, and friends to practice his trick while discovering the magical moments in everyday life!

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

Sesame Street Live CANCELLED
Mar 22 @ 2:30 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Sesame Street Live (March 21-22) is cancelled. All tickets purchased at Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded. All other tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.

Your favorite Sesame Street friends are back in Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic! When magician extraordinaire Justin visits the neighborhood to put on a magic show, Elmo wants to join in. But there’s one problem: Elmo doesn’t know how to do magic, so he teams up with Justin, Abby, and friends to practice his trick while discovering the magical moments in everyday life!

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

Thursday, March 26, 2020
Asheville Community Theatre Online Happy Hour Parties  
Mar 26 @ 5:00 pm
ACT Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/AshevilleCommunityTheatre/

    • We are featuring singers (and dancers!) from the community during our #ACTHappyHour parties M-F at 5:00 pm!
An Evening with N. K. Jemisin, author of The City We Became
Mar 26 @ 6:30 pm
UNC Asheville Lipinsky Auditorium

Join us Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 pm when N.K Jemisin presents her new novel, THE CITY WE BECAME (on sale March 24, 2020).

We are pleased to partner with UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and English Department for this event, which will be held at in Lipinsky Auditorium on the UNCA campus.

There are two ticket options:

(1) Ticket includes admission for one person and a copy of THE CITY WE BECAME (hardcover)

(2) Ticket includes admission for two people, a copy of THE CITY WE BECAME (hardcover) and a copy of HOW LONG TIL BLACK FUTURE MONTH (paperback)

N. K. Jemisin will sign books following reading and audience Q&A. Books will be available to pick up at the event.

***Stay tuned for important details about the event and signing. When purchasing your ticket(s), please make sure you provide an email address where you can receive emails from the Brown Paper Tickets automated system.***

ABOUT THE CITY WE BECAME
Five New Yorkers must come together to defend their city from an ancient evil in this stunning new novel by Hugo Award-winner and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.

Every great city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? Shes got six.

But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs in the halls of power, threatening to destroy the city and her six newborn avatars unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.

In a starred review, Kirkus calls THE CITY WE BECAME “Fierce, poetic, uncompromising.”

N.K. Jemisin: The City We Became
Mar 26 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Lipinsky Auditorium

 

N.K. Jemisin will present her new book, The City We Became, just two days after its public release. This ticketed event takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, in Lipinsky Auditorium, presented in partnership by Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, and UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and Department of English.

This is a ticketed event with different ticketing/book purchase options, with online ordering at: https://www.malaprops.com/event/ticketed-nk-jemisin-presents-city-we-became-unca

Free tickets (which do not include the book) are available for UNC Asheville students and employees – contact Lilly Augspurger, 828.251.6099 or [email protected].

Living and writing her speculative fiction in Brooklyn, Jemisin’s new novel features five New Yorkers who must come together to defend their city from ancient evil. She is the only author to win three Best Novel Hugo awards in a row, which she did for her Broken Earth trilogy. Jemisin also has won a Nebula Award and two Locus Awards among the many honors for her eight novels, a novella, and two short story collections. A former counseling psychologist and educator, she also covered science fiction for three years for the New York Times Book Review. For more information about Jemisin, her books and this event, visit the Malaprop’s website.

Visitor Parking on the UNC Asheville Campus – Visitors may park in faculty/staff and non-resident lots from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends, holidays, and campus breaks. Visitors are not permitted to park in resident student lots at any time. Campus map is here – use menu bars to find parking lot locations.

Building accessibility information is available here.

Accessibility Contact: Highsmith Student Union, [email protected] or 828.251.6990.

Works in Translation Book Club
Mar 26 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookstore Manager Justin Souther to discuss writers — and their literature — in translation and the cultural, political and artistic influences that mold them. Click here to see a list of the monthly selections. Attendees receive 10% off the club’s current selection at Malaprop’s!

The club usually meets the last Thursday of every month at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe.

Event date:
Thursday, January 30, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, February 27, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, March 26, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, April 30, 2020 – 7:00pm
City Dance
Mar 26 @ 7:30 pm
Landmark Hal

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Friday, March 27, 2020
Asheville Community Theatre Online Happy Hour Parties  
Mar 27 @ 5:00 pm
ACT Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/AshevilleCommunityTheatre/

    • We are featuring singers (and dancers!) from the community during our #ACTHappyHour parties M-F at 5:00 pm!
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Asheville’s Premier Country Dance
Mar 28 @ 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Asheville Ballroom

Asheville’s Premier Country Dance. Includes Two-Step Lesson from 7 to 8 PM. Join us for a Fun evening 7-10:30 pm at the Asheville Ballroom, 291 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville. 7-8pm Two-Step lesson taught by Richard & Sue Cicchetti. 8 to 10:30 dance your favorite dances: Swing, Waltz, Two-Step, Cha-Cha, etc. on a 5,000 sq. ft. wood dance floor with great, modern country music provided by DJ Ricky C. Admission includes dance, dance lesson, bottled water, dessert & raffle ticket for great prizes. Online registration discount by March 27th $11 at www.Danceforlife.dance. After March 27th and at the door $13.

Monday, March 30, 2020
Asheville Community Theatre Online Happy Hour Parties  
Mar 30 @ 5:00 pm
ACT Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/AshevilleCommunityTheatre/

    • We are featuring singers (and dancers!) from the community during our #ACTHappyHour parties M-F at 5:00 pm!
Online Dance Classes Studio Zahiya
Mar 30 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Studio Zahiya Online

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Question? How are you staying sane during this time.

The way I’m doing that is dancing every single day!

Digital update:

We are in the process of upgrading all tech pieces of the studio to support you at home and keep your hips shaking. Here’s an FAQ on setting up your home studio (insert link)

You’ll also see that we are moving to a more seamless platform and you’ll be getting emails and if you like you can opt into text reminders of classes. YAY!

If you have a studio and you’d like to become part of our digital studio, we can help – reach out!

We are better together : Share this meme on your social and tag us to be entered to win a prize!

5pm Hip Hop Cardio with Marissa
6pm FREE Bhangra with Lisa Zahiya 
7pm Tap with Amanda
8pm Tap 2 with Amanda

Science Fiction Book Club
Mar 30 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Allison Beatty to dive into the wreck of the wily and wonderful world of sci-fi, weird fiction, speculative fiction, literary horror, and disturbing fiction with a healthy mix of underappreciated classic and contemporary books. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets the at Malaprop’s on the last Monday of every month at 7:00pm.

 

Event date:
Monday, December 30, 2019 – 7:00pm
Monday, January 27, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, February 24, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, March 30, 2020 – 7:00pm
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Asheville Community Theatre Online Happy Hour Parties  
Mar 31 @ 5:00 pm
ACT Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/AshevilleCommunityTheatre/

    • We are featuring singers (and dancers!) from the community during our #ACTHappyHour parties M-F at 5:00 pm!
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Free Online West African Drumming & Dance for Kids Hosted by LEAF
Apr 1 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am
LEAF Global Arts Online

Image may contain: 3 people, people sitting, people standing and outdoor

We invite young LEAFers to join LEAF Resident Teaching Artist Adama Dembele for a virtual drumming and dance class for elementary age kids. Adama is a master djembefola (djembe player) from the Ivory Coast, West Africa, and has been a part of LEAF since 2005. He currently teaches year round after school classes with LEAF Schools & Streets, and he is excited to offer video classes in which students can take a journey to explore the sounds, rhythms and movements of West African culture right from their own home!

https://www.facebook.com/events/199994081418039/

Studio Zahiya Hip Hop Cardio Online Class
Apr 1 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Studio Zahiya Online
Kids Hip Hop with Lisa Zahiya
Apr 1 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Studio Zahiya Online
Asheville Community Theatre Online Happy Hour Parties  
Apr 1 @ 5:00 pm
ACT Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/AshevilleCommunityTheatre/

    • We are featuring singers (and dancers!) from the community during our #ACTHappyHour parties M-F at 5:00 pm!
Bellydance Drills Online Class
Apr 1 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Studio Zahiya Online
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Asheville Community Theatre Online Happy Hour Parties  
Apr 2 @ 5:00 pm
ACT Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/AshevilleCommunityTheatre/

    • We are featuring singers (and dancers!) from the community during our #ACTHappyHour parties M-F at 5:00 pm!
Crime and Politics Book Club
Apr 2 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop’s Bookstore

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across true crime and public affairs. The club meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Click here to learn more about the club, view important news, and find the pick for this month.

 

Event date:
Thursday, January 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, February 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, March 5, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, April 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Friday, April 3, 2020
Hip Hop Fitness with Lisa Zahiya Online
Apr 3 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Studio Zahiya Online

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